Chapter 30

 

I bounce in place, then pace, watching out the window. Quinn and Dean sit behind me on the sofa making jokes, but I ignore them. The snow is falling, and Bryce is an hour late. Nate has called a few times to say they are close, but the weather has them delayed.

I stop pacing and go to the kitchen. The appetizers are laid out, the wine and beer chilled, and the most recent bouquet of flowers from Bryce is in the middle of the table.

Dean walks in and surprises me by yanking me into a hug. “Calm down, sweetness. He’ll be here soon.” His voice is so smooth and velvety that I instantly relax.

“You know everything, don’t you?” I muffle into his sweater.

“Yes, and I know he’s as anxious to see you as you are him.”

“Not possible.”

He holds me a little tighter, and Quinn yells she’s going to ‘sedate me with wine and tequila’.

“Listen, I have about one minute here, but I need your advice.” Dean steps back and looks behind him. “I’m coming back in two weeks when Paul and Michelle are here for her exhibit. She knows I’m bringing my family, but there’s more to it. I want to ask her to marry me.”

I start to scream but slam my fist to my mouth. I bobble my head.

“You think she’ll freak?”

I bobble again.

“Will you help me with some of the details?”

I finally find my voice and squeak, “Of course.”

“It’ll be a big weekend. You’ll be on-spot.”

“Of course,” I repeat.

“Thank you.” He looks relieved.

“They’re driving up,” Quinn shouts.

I swing my head between the living room and him, and he does a head jerk for me to go. I jump into his arms and kiss his cheek then sprint to the door.

Nate, Jamie, and Bryce all get out of the truck and rush toward the apartment in the snow. I run directly to Bryce. He picks me up and covers my mouth with his own. He carries us into the apartment and breaks apart to set me down.

I move to hug my brother and Jamie. When I step back, her eyes are shining. I grin and introduce her to Quinn and Dean.

We go to the kitchen, and Bryce holds me close. Nate opens the wine and serves Jamie first then pours for Quinn and me.

Out of nowhere, Quinn slaps Bryce’s shoulder with both hands and shouts, “Never again, you hear me! I’ll kill you!”

“Never again,” he agrees, rubbing his arm, and yanks her into a hug. He mutters ‘thank you’, and she sniffs.

Jamie looks at me with warmth and understanding then sidles up to Nate who throws his arm around her protectively.

“Okay, enough, let’s eat, and I have a surprise!” I step away from Bryce and rush to my room to grab the box even Quinn doesn’t know about.

When I get to the living room, everyone has a plate of food and has found a seat. Bryce puts his food to the side and sets me on his lap.

“These are the articles and pictures that didn’t make it to the exhibit, but they’re pretty amazing. Shana gave me permission to share.”

I pass around pictures and papers from the blue team about our summer experiences. Quinn already knows most of the stories but helps me explain them to everyone. I immediately fall further in love with Jamie when she starts to organize each story by category. She scoots to the floor, and Nate moves behind her, massaging her shoulders.

“If these are the rejects, tomorrow night will be more than I ever imagined.”

“You have no idea,” Bryce pipes in. “These girls will be famous.”

I blush and see Quinn’s cheeks flush.

We sit around for another few hours, looking at papers and pictures. Finally, after three bottles of wine, Nate insists on taking Jamie to the hotel, and Dean forces Quinn to bed. Bryce helps me clean the kitchen and then picks me up and carries me to my room.

He’s quiet as we get ready for bed, and when I reach for my pajamas, he stops me and hands me a new long sleeved t-shirt that says ‘Property of US Navy’. I slip up and curl into him, waiting for him to talk.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

I rub circles on his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“Liza’s taken care of. She’s being reassigned and possibly transferred. It took a few weeks, but she’ll soon be permanently gone from my life. I won’t have to see her at work every day.”

“How did this happen?

“Let’s just say, I found a way to influence people who make decisions. Even though I’m new to the base and haven’t been serving long, I’ve spent years getting to know people. Nate and I are damn good at our jobs. Not only because we have the formal education but also because we love the dynamics and details. I spoke to a few people, and Liza will be meeting with her boss in a few days.”

“The Bryce voodoo magic.” I giggle.

He chuckles under my cheek and strokes his fingers through my hair.

“How’s she going to take it?”

“Personally, I don’t give a flying fuck. She’s lucky I didn’t trash her name. I wanted to destroy her but took the best route to get her away from me.”

“It’s not your style to ruin her career. Should we be worried about any backlash? “

“I don’t think she’s one to boil bunnies, but she’s going to freak out. She’s worked really hard to get where she is, and this is going to hit her hard. She’ll have to start over with a new team wherever she lands.”

“Has she tried to contact you?”

“Every fucking day. It was hard on the ship, but I managed to avoid her. She also had to spend a lot of time trying to dodge the rumors. I think the captain even had someone assigned to watch her closely.”

“Rumors?”

“Yeah, I heard she liked to fuck on the ship, even though it’s prohibited. I even heard she has no problem sleeping her way to the top.”

“Oh my God! You did that!”

“I’ll deny ‘til I die.”

I giggle until my side starts to ache. “Bitch deserves it. I only wish I could have seen her face.”

“Oh, she was pissed. No one, not even the other females, wanted to associate with her for the risk of being labeled. After the way she treated Dani at Tommy’s that night even Dani dropped her.”

“Speaking of Dani and Tommy, what’s going on with them?”

“Rick is the only one I’ve really made an effort to talk to the last few weeks. Tommy cornered me once, not understanding why I was so angry, and asked for me to forgive his comments.”

“What’d you say?”

“I shook his hand and told him there was nothing to forgive. He’s a great sailor with a limitless career ahead of him. I appreciated all he did for me and the good times we had. Our paths will always cross if we stay on the ship, and I’d like it if we could continue the amicable professional relationship.”

“Liza did a good job of putting everyone in the line of fire. Tommy really didn’t do anything.”

“The casualty of our friendship may have been because of Liza, but he knew how much I love you. For him to think I’d cheat with Liza was a hit to my character. I like Tommy, but I thought this was the best way to close down any expectations with Nicole.”

“It is.”

I tell him about her phone call, and he stops running his fingers through my hair and moves me up to him. “Are you okay?” His face is full of concern.

“Yes, Bryce. I handled it. You have to stop thinking I’m going to break. No one’s going to make me doubt you ever again. We’ve had more people plotting against us in a few years than most do in a lifetime. That’s over. I promise you that we’re solid.”

“Thank God.”

“Now, if we’re done talking, it’s way past time for me to thank you for the generous gifts the last two weeks.”

He hardens under my thigh, and his eyes start to heat. “What kind of gratitude did you have in mind?”

I slip my hand under his flannel pajamas and run my thumb over the tip of his erection. His lips part slightly, and I lean in. “My plan was to lick my way down your body until I could suck your dick in my mouth. But, now, I think I’ll let you choose. What do you want?”

His breath hitches, and he closes his eyes, moaning as my nails lightly scratch the underside of his cock. “Y-y-yes, dick in mouth sounds good,” he stutters.

“Then what?” I start to go lower and kiss a trail down his neck and jawline. When my tongue circles his nipple, he moans and grips my scalp.

“You, on top of me.”

“Mmm, sounds nice. Then what?” I lower his pants and graze my tongue over his slit and then the crown.

“I want to bury myself in you for the rest of the night.”

“That can be done,” I whisper seductively against his cock and blow a warm breath. “But we need to discuss something first.” I push up and straddle his lap, bracing my hands on his abs.

His eyes fly open, and he looks at me in horror. “Now? We need to discuss something now?”

“Yep.” I nod. “It’s done. The situation is over. We don’t need to talk about it again. I could feel your guilt in the email. It still stings, but you’ve done everything possible to heal my wounds, including loving me. I need to know my love is enough to heal you, too.”

He moves his hands under mine and links our fingers then kisses my knuckles. “Knowing you love me heals all wounds. I’ll try to let this go.”

“Don’t try. Let it go. We’re here, and we’re stronger than ever. Promise me.”

He stares at me, searching my face for several long seconds. “Promise,” he finally chokes out.

“Good, now for your real surprise.” I pull the shirt off and reach under my pillow. When I drop his dog tags over my head, he moans.

“Now, when you close your eyes on the ship and think of me, you can think of me naked, on top of you, in nothing but your dog tags.”

His eyes grow wide and then deepen to a dark blue. He massages my thighs gently, and the heat of his gaze sets my body on fire.

“Babe, you have blown every dream I’ve ever had of you out of the water. Men would die to see the perfection I have sitting on top of me.”

My breathing picks up as I watch his reaction.

“But, now, it’s time to start the gratitude portion of the night before I explode.”

I grin and move back down his body. “Gladly.”

The minute I walk into the kitchen, all chatter stops. Quinn bites her lip while Dean whistles low then drops his eyes to the floor.

Nate jerks his chin, tugs Jamie to his side, and murmurs, “Stand back. You’re about to get a show.”

Bryce’s face has turned a deep shade of red. “I send you a thousand dollars and she’s wearing a scrap of fabric?” he hisses at Quinn.

“It’s hardly a scrap! She’s covered everywhere that matters,” she replies casually. “Calm your shit. I didn’t spend it all. Your money went to manicures, pedicures, hair styling, and shoes. Don’t forget about the shoes.”

His eyes drop to my feet, and I start to worry if he’s going to literally blow up. “Devon, baby, you have to change. Please tell me you have something else that will work for tonight.”

“What’s wrong with this?” I ask defensively, looking down at the deep purple halter dress Quinn insisted I buy.

“Nothing. You look hot. Give it a twirl. Let us see the full effect.” Quinn spins her hand in a circle.

As soon as I turn, Bryce growls. “Where’s the back?”

Jamie starts to giggle and comes to my rescue. “I think she looks beautiful. The lace overlay gives the dress a very classy edge. If I had legs like hers, I’d show them off, too.”

Nate whispers something in her ear, and she blushes slightly.

“Caveman, I put that thing you wanted in Devon’s top dresser drawer,” Quinn tells him and rolls her eyes. “You’re welcome.”

Bryce gives her a dirty look but comes over and leads me back to my room.

“You’re not going to try to make me change, are you?”

“If I said yes, would you listen to me?”

“Not on your life.”

“Then there’s no point.” He sighs and reaches in my drawer, removing a box. “It’s not that you don’t look exquisite; it’s that you’re going to attract attention tonight. I’ll need to be alert.”

“You’re absurd.”

“Maybe, but I’m also possessive and completely obsessed. Maybe this will help ease my nerves.” He pops open the box to reveal a silver choker with an anchor in the middle.

I momentarily lose my breath. “It’s stunning,” I finally whisper.

“No, you’re stunning.” He goes behind me and clasps it around my neck.

“What is the occasion?” I run my fingers along the smooth metal.

“No occasion. One of the things I thought about on the ship is your anchor tattoo. In my mind, it’s my mark, but its placement is for my eyes only. So I wanted another anchor on your body. It’s a reminder whenever you wear it that you’re my anchor.”

“I love it.”

“I love you.” He kisses a trail from my ear down to my collarbone. “Now, about changing your dress.”

I lean into him, shuttering at the warmth of his breath. He continues to nibble on the sensitive skin below my ear, and I know he thinks he’s won. It takes all the self-control I can find to step away and out of my lust induced fog.

“Not a chance. Come on. We don’t want to be late.”

He sighs and hangs his head in defeat. I stop in my doorway and hold out my hand, which he finally takes and follows me back to the kitchen.

The Fine Arts Building where the exhibit is located has been transformed into an elegant gallery with every wall surface covered with matted frames. I get chills as soon as we walk through the door and see everyone’s hard work on display. On one wall, there’s a flat screen television playing footage of all our video coverage.

I look around and gasp when my eyes land on the wall leading to the main room. Quinn’s piece shines under the large spotlights. Instinctively, I link my arm through hers and walk us over. Our crew follows closely, Dean holding her free hand.

No one speaks as we read it in its entirety. Whoever put this together did a superb job with the captions and the picture placement. Quinn’s whole team has a contribution, but it’s her paper that’s front and center.

“Well, little Quinnie Jackson, how’s it feel to be famous?” Nate breaks the silence.

“Nate,” Quinn’s voice cracks. “You promised never to call me that.”

“It slipped. Standing here, looking at this, I’m so damn proud. It seemed appropriate.” His own voice is thick with emotion, which breaks Quinn.

She turns and hugs him, her body shaking. He hugs her back then transfers her to Dean’s arms. He supports her easily, rubbing his hands up and down her back and whispering his own praises.

She steps away from Dean and looks at all of us but focuses on Jamie. “Jamie, that’s your one and only. I’m not usually a crier. I’m more of a ball-buster.”

Bryce nods his agreement, and we all laugh.

“Okay, time to move on.” Quinn looks around, her eyes landing on the far wall. She grabs my hands and drags me across the room to stand in front of the blue team’s large display.

Once again, we’re quiet as we read all the captions. Bryce slips his arm around my waist and shifts me in front of him.

“Devon.” Nate steps up to us and squeezes my shoulder. “This is beyond incredible. I’m so fucking happy for you.”

“Stop! Nate, stop making us cry.” Quinn slaps his shoulder lazily.

He grins at her then kisses my forehead.

“There you are!” Crystal runs up and almost tackles Quinn and me.

We hug her back, squealing with excitement. When I move, I notice Morgan standing there, his face beaming. I give him a short hug and then introduce him.

We go around the room as a group, inspecting every display and congratulating our classmates. Eric and Kenny join us with their dates, and we move to the main room, claiming a full table.

Bill Thames comes by our table and surprises us by sitting down. Dean scowls when Quinn introduces him as her boyfriend. Bryce notices, too.

“Something I should know?” he says in my ear.

“He doesn’t want to be just the boyfriend anymore,” I answer quietly.

His eyes grow wide, and he nods in understanding.

When Bill leaves to work his way through the room, we resume discussing the upcoming summer internships and Olympics.

The whole table goes quiet, and several people look over my shoulder. Jamie’s eyes bulge and her mouth drops. I turn to see Shana walking toward the table with a wide smile and her arms outstretched.

Bryce gets up to pull out my chair, and I fall into her embrace. She gives me a firm hug then steps back to Professor Grant’s side.

She looks at the table and throws her hands to her hips. “What? Is Devon the only one who still loves me? Come here!” She waves at the table, and Crystal, Eric, and Kenny jump up and come over, leaning into their own hugs.

“I’m so damn proud of you guys,” she tells us and then glares at Quinn. “And you! I understand I lost you to Bill for the summer. What do I have to do to change your mind?”

Quinn’s face turns deep pink, and she slices her eyes to Dean, who kisses her hand sweetly. She looks back to Shana with a sparkle in her eye.

“Atlanta’s where I’m meant to be,” she answers.

Shana smiles widely and nods with understanding.

My heart swells at all the love and friendship surrounding the table. For the first time in a long time, everything is perfect in my world.